Process of and apparatus for aerating and feeding liquid fuel.



S. J. EVA, H. P. GRAY & J. R. OHRISTY. PROCESS OF AND APPABATUSYPOR AERATING AND FEEDING LIQUID FUEL.

APPLICATION FILED AUG. 14, 1911.

Patented June 16, 1914.

INVENTORS WITNESSES icence.

UNITED snares PAT NT OFFICE.

Samar .1. EVA; HENRY Boner-Ann JAMES ROBERT CHRISTY, or OAKLAND,

- CALIFORNIA. n

PROCESS OF AND APPAMTUSFOR AER A ITN G AND FEEDING LIQUID FUEL.

.. Speoilication'o't Letters Patent.

Patented June 16, 1914.

I Application filed August 14, 1911. Serial No. 644,045.

To all who ntit may cone-arm.

. Be it known that we, ,SAMUnL J. EVA, HENRY P. GRAY. and JAMES R. Cnmsrr, citizens of'the United States, residing'at Oakland, in the county of Alameda and State of California, have invented new and useful Improvements in Processes of and Apparatus for Aerating andv Feeding Liquid Fuel, of which the following is a specification.

The object of the present invention is to provide an improved process of, and apparatus for, aerating liquid fuel, for use in.

internal combustion engines.-

In the accompanying drawing, Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of-the apparatus; Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the aerating cylinder; Fig. 3 is a vertical section of the relief valve mechanism Fig. 4 is an enlarged vertical section of the automatic fuel valve; Fig. 5 is a side view thereof.

Referring to the drawing, 1 indicates an aerating receptacle, which is here shown as cylindrical in form, having depending from the lower end thereof, an oil supply receptacle 2-which is also cylindrical in form but smaller in diameter. Suitably secured in the upper head 3 of said receptacle 1 is centrally contained a union 4, through which leads a vertical tube 5, the upper end of which tube is connected with a compressed air pipe'G, by meansof which pipe 6 and tube 5 compressed air is conducted into the interior of said receptacle 1. The upper end of said tube 5 fits tightly in the bushing, but the intermediate portion 7 thereof is reduced in diameter to form an annular conduit 8, which connects with, a transverse conduit 9 in the union 4, which conduit 9 in turn connects with an oil pipe 10. Thus oil is supplied to the annular conduit 8. The lowermost portion of the tube 5 is still further reduced in diameter, as shown at 11,

and surrounding said portion 11 of the tube 5 is an annular valve 12, the upper portion of which is formed with a circular series of recesses 13, each of which is open at the upper end or at the top of said valve, and tapers downward to the lower end. Said valve is normally pressed upward by a coiled spring 14 surrounding the tube 5 and compressed between a fixed collar 15 thereon and the lower end of said valve. \Vhen fully pressed upward by said spring, the whole of said recesses 13 are completely closed on the outside'by the union 4. But when, owing to the pressure of liquid fuel passing from the pipe 10 into the annular conduit. 8, the annular valve 12 is depressed against the force of said spring 14, small portions, the size of which is dependent upon the degree of said pressure, ofsaid recesses 13 pass below the lower end of the bore for said tube 5 in said union, which lower endflares outwardly, and then the liquid fuel under great pressure escapes from said recesses, and is immediately atomized. When liquid fuel is thus sprayed into a receptacle containing compressed air under considerable pressure, and is allowed U or saturated with air. Fuel thus charged drops from thelcottom of said receptacle into the oil supply chamber 2, from the lower end of which it is conveyed by a pipe 18 to the internal combustion engine, not shown. Fuel oil thus saturated with air is very eflective for operating said engine, as it is then more readily mixed with air admitted into the combustion chamber of said engine.

It is important to prevent any possibility of the oil rising into the aerating receptacle 1. For this purpose there is provided an overflow pipe 19, which is connected with the oil supply chamber at about the middle thereof, andthe other end of which is connected .to a vertical pipe.20, which conducts saturated compressed air to the compression chambers of the engine and the upper end of which pipe 20 is supplied with compressed air from the-receptacle 1 by a pipe 21 having within said receptacle a downwardly opening aperture 22. From this pipe 21 a pipe 23 leads to the upper casing section 24 of a relief device 25. The said device comprises upper and lower casing sections 24, 27, between which is clamped a diaphragm 28 having centrally connected thereto a valve 29, having a valve stem 30 which slides in a guideway 31 in the upper section. Conduits 32 in said section 24 conduct compressed air from the compressed air pipe 23 to the chamber 33 above said diaphragm. The lower casing section 27 connects with the lower end of'the pipe 20, an upper portion of which is connected, as before explained, with the overflow pipe 19.. I

In the normal operation of the device,

should there be no oil in the pipe 20, the valve 29 will remain seated on its seat 35, but, if the oil rise in the oil supply receptacle and passes over by the overflow pipe 19 into the pipe 20 and forms a column therein of suflicient height, so that the pressure of the under side of the diaphragm 28 is slightly greater than the pressure on the upper side thereof, together with the pressure upon the part of the valve 29 in contact with its seat, then said valve 29 will be raised from its seat, and oil will then flow from the lower chamber 86 by a pipe 37 to a suitable oil reservoir, not shown, to be again supplied to the aerating chamber and aerated in the manner already explained. We preferably form the overflow pipe 19 curved upward intermediate of its ends which extend horizontallya The object of giving the overflow pipe this shape is in order that the oil, flowing downward on the wall of the chamber 2 may not be able' to enter the overflow pipe 19, and this construction is especially important for marine engines in which the overflow pipe 19 is constantly changing its level owing to the rocking of the ship. At suitable points above and below the connection of the pipe 19 with the chamber 2, we connect with said chamber 2 'age cocks 38 for ascertaining at any time whether the oil is at the level of said gage cocks. The bottom of the chamber 2 is connected to a suit- I able drain cock 39. The pipes 20 and 23 have valves 40 and 41, and are connected by a pipe 42 having therein a valve 43, which, in the normal operation of the device is closed. When it is desired to close the valves 40, 41, the valve 43 is opened, in order that there may be no danger of rupturing the diaphragm 28 by one of the valves 40, 41, being closed before the other.

We claim l 1. In the art of preparing and feeding aerated liquid fuel, the process of continuously spraying by external pressure liquid fuel into an aerating chamber at the top, continuously supplying to said aerating chamber air under pressure greater than atmospheric, continuously drawing out from said chamber, near the bottom thereof, the aerated liquid fuel at a rate not greater than that at which it is supplied thereto, and automatically removing from the liquid fuel so aerated any excess thereof above a predetermined amount.

2. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an aerating chamber, means for supplying compressed air thereto, means for supplying liquid fuel under pressure thereto, a valve for resiliently opposing said latter means and formed to cause said liquid fuel to pass the valve in the form of spray, and a liquid fuel supply receptacle connected with the bottom of said chamber.

3. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an aeratin chamber, means for admitting compressed air to said chamber, means for conducting liquid fuel to said chamber, means for injecting said liquid fuel into said chamber in the form of spray, and a receptacle connected with the bottom of said chamber for containing the aerated liquid fuel.

4. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an acratin chamber, means for admitting com ressed air to said chamber, means for con ucting liquid fuel to said chamber, means for injecting said liquid fuel into said chamber in the form of spray, a receptacle connected with the bottom of said chamber for containing the aerated liquid fuel, an overflow pipe from said receptacle, a relief valve for permittingthe escape of oil passed through said overflow pipe, and means controlled by the amount of oil so passed for actuating said valve.

5. In an apparatus of the character described, the combination of an aerating chamber, means for admitting compressed air to said chamber, means for conducting liquid fuel to said chamber, means for injecting said liquid fuel into said chamber in the form of spray, a receptacle connected withthe bottom of said chamber for containing the aerated liquid fuel, an overflow pipe from said receptacle, a relief valve for permitting the escape'of oil passed through said overflow pipe, and'means for operating said valve adapted to be actuated in one direction by the pressure of the compressed air in the aerating chamber, and in the other direction bv said pressure added to the pressure of a column of oil in the overflow pipe.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

SAMUEL J. EVA. HENRY P. GRAY. JAMES ROBERT CHRISTY.

Witnesses:

FRANCIS M. WRIGHT, CARMEN C. E. GLAUCH. 

